Butler football moves up to 14th in NJCAA poll

Oct 08, 2014

After a 41-24 road victory over Iowa Central, Butler football moved up one spot to 14th in this week's NJCAA Top 20 poll.

The Grizzlies (4-2 overall, 2-1 KJCCC) received 56 votes, just a half-point behind 13th-ranked Dakota College at Bottineau. For the fourth straight week, Butler remained the highest-ranked two-loss team in the poll.

The top seven in the poll remained nearly unchanged. East Mississippi and Iowa Western, tied for the top spot last week, went back to 1 and 2 in the rankings. For the first time this season, East Mississippi received only seven of the nine first-place votes, with Iowa Western and fourth-ranked Trinity Valley receiving one first-place vote each.

Mississippi Gulf Coast held steady at No. 3 for the second straight week, while Hutchinson, Scottsdale (Ariz.) and Snow (Utah) remained fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively. Nassau (N.Y.), Arizona Western and Central Lakes-Brainerd (Minn.) rounded out the top ten.

For the third consecutive week, three KJCCC teams - Hutchinson, Butler and Coffeyville - stayed in this week's poll. With a 42-35 loss to No. 5 Hutchinson, Coffeyville dropped down three spots to 17th.

Butler is on the road again this week, as the Grizzlies travel west for a conference battle with Dodge City on Saturday. After opening the season with a 2-1 record, the Conquistadors (2-4 overall, 2-2 KJCCC) have lost three straight games - including a 49-38 road loss at Fort Scot on Saturday. Kickoff for the Butler-Dodge City contest is at 1 p.m.